Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the best in the country for patient research involvement, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has revealed.

Figures from the NIHR show that the number of open studies at Kingston Hospital jumped by 93 percent from 28 to 54, which was the largest jump of any hospital trust in England.

Open studies enable patients and people in the community to access new and better treatments through participation in clinical research.

Dr Helen Matthews, research and development lead at Kingston Hospital, said: “I am delighted that year-on-year we are increasing our research involvement to improve future treatments for patients.

“These results show how the research team at Kingston has transformed the culture around research in our hospital, with their hard work and enthusiasm.

“Our aim is to make research an integral part of care at Kingston so everyone can benefit from the opportunity to take part and can decide for themselves whether or not joining a research study is the right option for them.”